The Ford Barn

Kurt in NJ · 09-18-2013, 08:42 PM

My "long" generator has been running at greater than 15 amps for the last 40 years, for a while it was 18A for the 50cp bulbs, this is with the cover band off, the armature threw the solder in 1972, I did what I was told would be a "tempoary" repair by re-soldering it, recently while researching some strange babbtt markings I saw that there is special commutator solder with a higher melting point---

I have found that the "bus", radio car, and "standrive" generators used much the same componets,I think only different pulleys and armatures, they also are much the same as a 30 amp mopar autolite generator that is aircooled, and the autolite 3 brush generator used in a Atomic 4 boat motor--which was also used in a small forklift in the 30s, 40s

From what information I can find the "radio car"--police generator is 20 amps, and used a 2.69 diameter pulley that would fit the taper of a normal long generator, the 30 amp "bus" generator used a 3.68 diameter puley with a fan, but it looks like it has a straight bore with a key slot, the parts book lists them as using the same field coils and brush rigging(but different than the "normal" generators)
I will try to find an old Autoite book at Hershey to try and find more information

In a previous post(now gone) Brent talked about early alternator conversion using a mopar alternator, this brought back a memory from 1962, there was a storm here that floded the islands, and I remember my father taking me to a local racetrack to look at "flood cars"for sale, this is my first memory of alternators, a 62 Dodge --I remember asking about it because it was different than the other cars ----and asking why the very rusty old car "beach buggy" had one ( it was a model A with headlights on the roof) if it was such a new thing ----

How long you can run at a discharge depends on how close to full charge and how good the battery is ---in the V8 years there were several capacity batterys for sale including a cheap one to compete with the discount stores being sold for the A at the dealer ---I know that I have left the headlights on for 4 hours and started the car

09-18-2013, 08:42 PM	#41
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,159	Re: Installation of Alternator on a Model A My "long" generator has been running at greater than 15 amps for the last 40 years, for a while it was 18A for the 50cp bulbs, this is with the cover band off, the armature threw the solder in 1972, I did what I was told would be a "tempoary" repair by re-soldering it, recently while researching some strange babbtt markings I saw that there is special commutator solder with a higher melting point--- I have found that the "bus", radio car, and "standrive" generators used much the same componets,I think only different pulleys and armatures, they also are much the same as a 30 amp mopar autolite generator that is aircooled, and the autolite 3 brush generator used in a Atomic 4 boat motor--which was also used in a small forklift in the 30s, 40s From what information I can find the "radio car"--police generator is 20 amps, and used a 2.69 diameter pulley that would fit the taper of a normal long generator, the 30 amp "bus" generator used a 3.68 diameter puley with a fan, but it looks like it has a straight bore with a key slot, the parts book lists them as using the same field coils and brush rigging(but different than the "normal" generators) I will try to find an old Autoite book at Hershey to try and find more information In a previous post(now gone) Brent talked about early alternator conversion using a mopar alternator, this brought back a memory from 1962, there was a storm here that floded the islands, and I remember my father taking me to a local racetrack to look at "flood cars"for sale, this is my first memory of alternators, a 62 Dodge --I remember asking about it because it was different than the other cars ----and asking why the very rusty old car "beach buggy" had one ( it was a model A with headlights on the roof) if it was such a new thing ---- How long you can run at a discharge depends on how close to full charge and how good the battery is ---in the V8 years there were several capacity batterys for sale including a cheap one to compete with the discount stores being sold for the A at the dealer ---I know that I have left the headlights on for 4 hours and started the car